Bastille Day We were dining in Cherbourg. Suddenly the conversation stopped as all eyes were drawn to an extremely well endowed pretty girl who was leaving the restaurant. It was Bastille Day and as the girl left there was an almighty bang as somebody let off a firecracker. “They must have burst” said a crew member, somewhat sadly. Anthony and Rosie Thorne

Having raced regularly in Thalassa from 1947-1952 I could recount many stories of Richard’s father-in-law, Alan. His crew – Sandy Sandison, Alec Clark-Kennedy etc. – all had enormous fun and marvelled at our skipper’s tolerance of our appalling behaviour – next year it will be 70 years since I qualified for the RORC in Thalassa. Alan’s inspiration made me buy a boat myself – or rather 8 of them! – for over 50 years. Michael Vernon

“We were crossing the Raz de Sein, as most people know this can be a very treacherous piece of water for a yacht if misjudged, as the conflicting tides create a boiling maelstrom. But of course the skipper, with his usual impeccable seamanship had judged it very well and the passage was almost as flat as a millpond. The only slight flaw was that he had not foreseen that we would be blanketed in an absolutely impenetrable fog, in fact one could not really see from bow to stern of Thalassa. I was on the pulpit, straining my eyes into the fog, but more intently listening for any sound of another boat, to avoid a possible collision, Peter Edwards was doing the same at the stern. Richard had gone below to switch on and watch the radar, suddenly we heard panic stricken shouts from the saloon below about another boat and Richard shot out of the top of the companionway --- shouting to us to look out. We were alarmed but completely non-plussed since we could neither see nor hear anything --- other than the skipper shouting with concern ---- at which point a large seagull landed on deck. Richard went back to the radar muttering and then sheepishly emerged again to tell us he had put the radar gain on max and this must have picked up the seagull, a collision of sorts perhaps ---- but not a boat in sound or sight, luckily! David Waddell

For Richard’s great patience…. “Skipper…. Did we need that piece of wood to hold the outboard on?!” Paul and Annemarie Whittle